Implementation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication strategies to benefit the right to be heard of children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the context of Family Court proceedings

Abstract

Through this research, we immerse ourselves in a topic of great relevance to the contexts of institutional intervention of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, located from the interrogative How the implementation of augmentative and alternative communication strategies would mitigate communication barriers in the procedures developed by Courts with family competence based on the due exercise of the right to be heard of children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder? We know that the right to be heard is fundamental and is protected by national and international laws, such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, the traditional methods in our courts, which depend on verbal communication and complex questions, leave aside the particularities of children and adolescents with ASD. They may have difficulties with oral language, understanding abstract concepts, or sensory sensitivities that make a court environment overwhelming. This, as Górriz Plumed (2006) points out when talking about the Theory of Mind, affects their ability to interpret nonverbal signals and follow a fluid conversation, key elements in these processes. The challenge is no less: the Office of the Ombudsman for Children (2024) warns us about the gap in the effective participation of children in the judicial sphere. It's not that they don't have an opinion, it's that they don't always find the right channels to express it. Our final degree activity seeks just that: to propose augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies that allow us to break down these barriers. We rely on the theory of AAC (Bondy et al., 2013; Reaño, 2022) and the vast regulations that protect the rights of children and disability. We will thoroughly investigate the current procedures, the difficulties faced by children with ASD, and how tools such as the Image Exchange Communication System (PECS) can transform this reality. It should be contextualized that this is an exploratory-descriptive qualitative study that will review legislation, reports and scientific literature, always with an ethical commitment to respect and confidentiality. Because we firmly believe that every voice, no matter how it is expressed, deserves to be heard and taken into account.